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A contact formulation based on localized Lagrange multipliers: formulation and application to two‐dimensional problems
Author(s) -
Rebel G.,
Park K. C.,
Felippa C. A.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
international journal for numerical methods in engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.421
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1097-0207
pISSN - 0029-5981
DOI - 10.1002/nme.426
Subject(s) - lagrange multiplier , polygon mesh , contact force , unilateral contact , constraint algorithm , contact region , augmented lagrangian method , domain (mathematical analysis) , mathematics , finite element method , mathematical optimization , computer science , engineering , mathematical analysis , structural engineering , geometry , classical mechanics , physics , materials science , layer (electronics) , composite material
The non‐penetration condition in contact problems is traditionally based on the classical Lagrange multiplier method. This method makes extensive use of modelling details of the contacting bodies for contact enforcement as the contact surface meshes are in general non‐matching. To deal with this problem we introduce a novel element in the Lagrange multiplier approach of contact modelling, namely, a contact frame placed in between contacting bodies. It acts as a medium through which contact forces are transferred without violating equilibrium in the contact domain for discrete contact models. Only nodal information of the contacting bodies is required which makes the proposed contact enforcement generic. The contact frame has its own independent freedoms, which allows the formulation to pass contact patch tests by design. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.